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[usp] [fanfic] [ut] Two new map reviews and fanfic news

Legacy news previously posted on UnrealSP.org.
User avatar Hellscrag
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Subject: [usp] [fanfic] [ut] Two new map reviews and fanfic news

Post Posted: 13 Feb 2010, 19:29

With the recent glut of new single player releases, we now have two brand new map reviews for you:
- First up, it's DavidM's recent novelty release Bob - Everybody Needs a Friend, which has been reviewed by UBerserker.
- Secondly, we have MMAN's detailed review of the first instalment of JazzyB's three-part epic, Project Xenome: First Day.
While I'm here, Tambourine has recently informed me that the last chapter of the fan fiction Lux, which follows the travels and travails of Prisoner 849, has recently been posted. You can find a link to the now complete story in our Fan Fiction Reviews section.
Last edited by Hellscrag on 13 Feb 2010, 19:33, edited 1 time in total.
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User avatar Hellscrag
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Post Posted: 13 Feb 2010, 19:32

Great reviews both. :tup:
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Post Posted: 13 Feb 2010, 22:00

For the new PX to have the same score as Xidia (then ONP and 7B are even higher -.-) it must be something cool compared to the original stuff shown before. Maybe one day I'll try it.
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Post Posted: 14 Feb 2010, 10:55

UBerserker wrote:(then ONP and 7B are even higher -.-)


Shrakith'a is the highest!
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UB_
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Post Posted: 14 Feb 2010, 12:41

It's not classified as a large campaign though, but it still remains the best custom SP pack released for Unreal.
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Post Posted: 14 Feb 2010, 17:21

Good reviews. :tup:

I agree with Xenome's high scoring.

And yay for Lux! :)

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Post Posted: 14 Feb 2010, 20:33

Just finished reading the reviews and concerning Xenome: it doesn't surprise me at all. Gameplay balance is criticised in the review a bit harder than I would have expected but the 7 is probably a fair score. I personally would have given it a higher score because the pack really allows less perfect players to get past (most) enemies IF (and I emphasise IF) the player uses the surroundings to his advantage. This aspect of unreal playing is new to me and is (again: to me) more pleasing than the more usual unload your weapons until they drop method. But, as I stated, I can agree with a 7 because there are situations where the initial encounter proves to be very hard (also on Medium).

Concerning Bob, I do feel the total score is very low considering the fun that map offers, and it's all because of story construction and story implementation which, for a map like this should not have equal weighting with the other criteria. Visitors just looking at the total score of the map might think that it's not worth playing, which is an injustice (on the other hand, deciding on the score alone is a bit daft - but the review does give away a couple of secrets which risk reducing the pleasure of the player).

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Post Posted: 14 Feb 2010, 20:37

Concerning Bob, I do feel the total score is very low considering the fun that map offers, and it's all because of story construction and story implementation which, for a map like this should not have equal weighting with the other criteria. Visitors just looking at the total score of the map might think that it's not worth playing, which is an injustice (on the other hand, deciding on the score alone is a bit daft - but the review does give away a couple of secrets which risk reducing the pleasure of the player).


I think UB has done a good job reviewing a highly atypical map with "Bob". How do you review a map that offers no combat at all, and no story to speak of? To start messing with the weighting given to the schema scores risks making things overly complex and could be the start of a slippery slope.
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Post Posted: 14 Feb 2010, 21:03

I am surprisingly happy with both reviews (something I honestly didn't see comming). I really think MMAN did a pr0 j0b with that Xenome review......... I'd even go as far as saying it may be one of the best reviews on the site. As for UBeserkers "Bob" review, its right on target. Bullseye for both IMO.

Now I wait to see how 'Forgotten' stands up to those. Honestly, with proper gameplay and visual overhauls (not much), it could probably get a much higher score than the version 1.0 released on his site.
Last edited by jackrabbit on 14 Feb 2010, 21:06, edited 1 time in total.

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Post Posted: 14 Feb 2010, 21:04

Hellscrag wrote:...
How do you review a map that offers no combat at all, and no story to speak of? To start messing with the weighting given to the schema scores risks making things overly complex and could be the start of a slippery slope.


Agreed - which is why I mentioned that one shouldn't look at just score alone.
And there's no point in making a new category for maps with Bob being the first and possibly last entrant.

It is after all only a scoring system which has its pros and cons - e.g. Xenome and ONP get approximately the same score which might raise a few eyebrows considering the amount of criticism ONP gets. The point is that 80% is a damn good score (and rightfully so for both maps) but Bob's 50% indicates a barely acceptable level which it isn't - because of the whole different concept of the map.

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Post Posted: 14 Feb 2010, 21:13

This is the how I think about it:

If DavidM released his map not with UnrealSP and with some other BunnyTrack site, you would have a very good point. The way I see it, when you ask UnrealSP to review your work (something that I think should come with posting your project on the forum), it will always be reviewed under the same criteria as the other packs offered from the site. If DavidM didn't release Bob here, than I think UnrealSP wouldn't really have the right to give it such a low score or even a review at all. That was just not the case here. He published his work to this site (along with others such as BU) so I'd think he is basically asking for a review from the site which was given to him.

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Post Posted: 14 Feb 2010, 21:34

Presumably you wouldn't deny our right to review new content in general just because it hasn't been released here by the authors, jackrabbit? I assume your point is based on the fact that "Bob" is an unusual kind of release.

salsaSkaarj - Your point is reasonable, but I certainly don't agree that 50% is "barely acceptable". This is a reviewing system, not a school grading system - there is no such thing as a failing grade - and if you look at the schema you will see that 50% is "Average". Many sites devising review schemas might use that wording for 5/10, but at UnrealSP we actually adhere to it.
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Post Posted: 14 Feb 2010, 21:47

jackrabbit wrote:...it will always be reviewed under the same criteria as the other packs offered from the site. ...

Sorry, but that argument doens't hold in court.
I agree that the scoring criteria are known, but (and I am not criticising any reviewer here) a score for an individual criterion is usually NOT objective. Not that it's important - the review itself gives a better impression about the map.

My final notes on this (I don't want to start or enter an argument concerning this since the topic allows for expressing one's opinion about a map and its review - which I 've done):

Funny that I used a comparison for ONP and Xenome, and it comes in handy right now - the same criteria are used, by two different reviewers, and the final score is approximately the same. Does this mean both maps are equally good (or bad) - no! Have somebody else review ONP and scores might suddenly be a lot lower - does this mean ONP has just lost its worth, no. The scores represent the agglomerate of a reviewers interpretation of the various criteria - some of which are fairly objective (texture alignment I presume), other are less objective (gameplay balance).

I couldn't care less if a map gets a 0 or a 10 (although the mapper probably cares :wink: ) - what is important to me is whether I like it or not. This doens't imply that I am not interested in learning what other players think about certain maps, on the contrary - with the reviewing system it allows me to see what a reviewer thinks about various aspects of a map (which can then also enlighten me about some aspects I hadn't noticed).

Guys, I just gave a small comment about a total score - don't take it out of perspective - my opinion isn't the only one, and I don't have to agree with everything.

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Post Posted: 14 Feb 2010, 21:51

Hellscrag wrote:...
salsaSkaarj - Your point is reasonable, but I certainly don't agree that 50% is "barely acceptable". This is a reviewing system, not a school grading system - there is no such thing as a failing grade - and if you look at the schema you will see that 50% is "Average". Many sites devising review schemas might use that wording for 5/10, but at UnrealSP we actually adhere to it.

Point taken, and it's my fault for not explicitly stating that "50% is bare acceptable" was my (incorrect) interpretation and comparison with a school grade.

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Post Posted: 14 Feb 2010, 22:00

SS, you are absolutely right to note that the score isn't everything. It's really just a broad headline summary / starting point for people potentially interested in playing a map. The devil is in the details, i.e. the text of the review.

Have somebody else review ONP and scores might suddenly be a lot lower


We do aim for consistency with our scores, but you're right, there is also a degree of subjective slant that can't really be helped.
Last edited by Hellscrag on 14 Feb 2010, 22:03, edited 1 time in total.
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